Forever
by TheVictorianMuse
Summary: Zabuza admits that it's wrong. The way he treats Haku is wretched. He will love this boy, from now on. For every minute, for every hour, for every day...forever.
1. Chapter 1

It was cold outside, and their small shack was even smaller tonight, it seemed. There was a never-ending chill for both of them. The kind of cold that chills you right down to the bone. It grabbed them and refused to let go. Its nights like this that makes you crave warmth, especially the warmth of another person. Suffice it to say, what happened that night was practically inevitable to both parties involved.

"Zabuza?"

"Hn?"

"I'm cold." Haku was standing in the doorway of Zabuza's bedroom in their tiny hovel. He was the only one with a bedroom. Haku slept in the kitchen on a tiny futon that he'd had since he was ten. He barely fit now, since he was a growing boy. Consequently, his blankets didn't quite fit him anymore, either.

"And?" Zabuza sounded disgruntled from being woken up so abruptly. He did turn to look at him, though. Haku could barely make out the man's eyes in the pitch black of the room, but he could only hope that he wasn't too upset.

"Can I sleep in here with you?" He asked sheepishly. He stepped closer to the man's bed, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. It was a last ditch effort to warm himself. Normally he wouldn't bother his master with such foolishness, but he was just so cold. Zabuza pulled his blankets back without a word.

At first, Haku was shocked. He had suspected that the shinobi would scoff at his weakness, tell him to go back to his futon and suffer through it like a man. Perhaps he was thinking too harshly of his master. How silly of him! His master was a kind and generous man! Oh, who was he kidding? Obviously, himself.

He crawled inside of the sheets, the warmth of them enveloping him in a rush of comfort. He sighed loudly, snuggling down into the pillow. It was like heaven to him! Soft cotton sheets, so much better than his scratchy wool blanket. The warmth from Zabuza's body was all around him…Zabuza's body! Oh, Kami! How close he was…the one man, the one _human being_ that his whole world revolved around. In a brave move, he turned to face his master, and reached up to touch his unwrapped face.

"Arigatou, Zabuza-danna! I'm so grateful. You're so good to me." He smiled softly. The other man's face was stoic, and he was silent for a few moments. When he finally spoke, what he said shocked Haku, and it will shock you, too.

"Don't lie, Haku. I'm wretched to you." He mumbled, scowling at the wall above Haku's head. "I've always been rotten to you."

Haku gasped. "N-No! Senpai, that's not true at all! You took me in! You trained me, you fed me! You gave me shelter, a meaning for my life-" A large, calloused hand covered his mouth.

"I took your life from you. I forced you to kill. To do my bidding. I soiled you. You walk around here like a fucking angel. You're hair," He grabbed a lock of chocolate brown hair, "your eyes…Haku, you're fucking beautiful, and I stole your innocence away from you. Don't _fucking_ thank me for that! You act like I walk on water…like I'm some kind of god! I'm not, kid. I'm far from it. I'm a dirty disgusting demon, and I taint you with every touch."

Haku was shocked. His tiny mouth was hanging open, and his doe brown eyes were wide and shining with what possibly could've been unshed tears. He began to stroke the other man's face, smiling sadly.

"Zabuza-danna. You don't taint me with every touch…you make me come alive. As for my innocence…you don't have that yet. But I would willingly give it to you." He blushed, covering his mouth coyly. Zabuza's eyes widened, as Haku layed back on the bed, his arms over his head. His kimono had opened up, revealing a sliver of pale, delicate skin. Zabuza swallowed thickly.

"Haku…"

"Take me, Master…I'm yours."


	2. Chapter 2

"Haku…you don't know what you're asking of me. I can't…whatever it is that you're thinking; get it out of your head right now." He hissed to the younger boy. "You're only fifteen. You're still child."

Haku's eyes were downcast. He pulled his kimono closed, bowing his head. It would be a lie if he said that those words didn't hurt him. He had been good to Zabuza for so long…and the only think Haku wanted in return was for his master to love him and make him _his, _in every sense of the word! Was that so much to ask. He raised his head so that his big brown eyes would meet Zabuza's sharp black ones.

"I'm old enough to kill, but not old enough to bed. Is that what you're telling me?" He'd never used that indignant tone of voice with his master before. There was a think silence in the room as Zabuza stared down at the boy on his bed. He was shocked that Haku would talk back to him like that. He'd never done it before. It enraged him. He stood up, and walked to the other side of the bed, were Haku lay. He grabbed the boy up by the back of his kimono, and lifted him off the bed and into the air. He turned, and threw him towards the door. The brunette stumbled, and fell on his hands and knees a mere foot from the door. He crumbled there, humiliated. His hair was fanned out like a halo across his back and shoulders as he lay on the ground, broken.

"Get up." The ex-Mist ninja hissed. Haku remained motionless, the only sound coming from him was his rasping breath. Zabuza stomped over to him, and lifted him up by the collar of his kimono. He brought the smaller boy up to face level, but his chocolate eyes were cast down to the floor. "Look at me!"

"Are you just going to throw me away, Zabuza-san? Like I'm trash? I always knew I was…I always knew I would never be anything more than that. I supposed I was just hopeful. Hopeful that maybe…just _maybe_, I meant something a little more to you. I'm sorry, Master."

"Haku…" Zabuza didn't know what to say…what to do. He set the boy down on his feet, and watched him silently walk back into the kitchen.

Zabuza didn't sleep that night.

Xxx

The battle at the bridge was bloody. It was chaotic, and it was more than most ninja could have handled. Bodies were scattered all over the ground, all from Zabuza's assault on Gato's men. Said gangsters head was now floating off to sea. But those bodies meant nothing. The only body that mattered to Zabuza belonged to a young man, and it lay more than twenty feet from him. He looked up at Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, with a pleading look in his eye.

"Please…please, take me to him." The swordsmen's voice was hoarse. Kakashi nodded sadly, and picked the man up. He carried him quickly to the young corpse, and lay him down next to him. He stepped back, to give them some privacy.

Zabuza reached out one broken hand, to stroke his companion's cheek. He was dead. He had gone on to a better place. He really was an angel now. Zabuza only wished…

"I wish I could follow you, Haku. I wish I could go to the place where you've gone. But I'm afraid I can't. I'm so…" He started to sob now. He didn't care. His foolish pride didn't matter anymore. "I'm so _sorry_, Haku. I loved you. I'll always love you…Haku…_Haku…Forever…"_

As he looked at the only thing of beauty that had every graced his life, he took his dying breath.


End file.
